Getting Started with Typcraft: Your First Document Template

Welcome to Typcraft! In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create your first document template and generate personalized documents at scale.

What You'll Learn#

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to:

• Set up your first project in Typcraft
• Use the visual editor to design templates
• Add dynamic fields for personalization
• Generate your first batch of documents

Prerequisites#

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A Typcraft account (sign up for free at typcraft.com)
• A basic understanding of what you want to create (invoice, certificate, letter, etc.)

Step 1: Create Your First Project#

After logging in, you'll see your dashboard. Click the "New Project" button to get started.

You'll be prompted to:

1. Give your project a name (e.g., "Invoice Template")
2. Choose a starting point:
   • Blank canvas - Start from scratch
   • Template - Use one of our pre-built templates
   • Import - Upload an existing design

For this tutorial, we'll start with a blank canvas.

Step 2: Understanding the Editor#

The Typcraft editor has three main areas:

Left Sidebar - Layers Panel#

This shows all the elements in your document as a tree structure. You can:

• Reorder elements by dragging
• Group elements together
• Show/hide elements
• Lock elements to prevent accidental edits

Center - Canvas#

This is where you design your document. You can:

• Drag and drop elements from the toolbar
• Click to select and edit elements
• Use guides and snapping for precise alignment

Right Sidebar - Properties Panel#

When you select an element, this panel shows its properties:

• Position and size
• Colors and styling
• Typography settings
• Data binding options

Step 3: Adding Your First Elements#

Let's create a simple invoice header. From the bottom toolbar, add:

1. Text block - Click the "T" icon and click on the canvas
2. Image - Click the image icon to add your logo
3. Container - Use containers to group related elements

Pro Tip#

Use containers to create consistent layouts. A container can have:

• Fixed or flexible width
• Row or column direction
• Gap between children
• Padding and borders

Step 4: Adding Dynamic Fields#

This is where Typcraft shines. Instead of hardcoding values, you can bind elements to data fields.

To make a text field dynamic:

1. Select the text element
2. In the properties panel, find "Data Binding"
3. Enter a field name like customer_name
4. The text will show as {{customer_name}} in the editor

When you generate documents, each record in your data will create a personalized document.

Step 5: Preview and Export#

Before generating documents, preview your template:

1. Click Preview in the top toolbar
2. Enter sample data to see how it looks
3. Make any adjustments needed

When you're happy with the design:

1. Click Export PDF to generate a single document
2. Or use the API to generate documents programmatically

What's Next?#

Now that you've created your first template, explore these resources:

• Document Automation Playbook - A practical framework for automating document generation at scale
• Generate PDF API Guide - Generate documents programmatically from your application
• Batch Invoice Generation - Build automated invoice generation for your SaaS

Need Help?#

If you get stuck, here are your options:

• Check our documentation
• Join our community Discord
• Contact support

Happy creating! We can't wait to see what you build with Typcraft.